Eric Cantor wants to pay for Irene disaster relief with massive cuts to funding for disaster first responders.
If this were to happen, and some disaster required more responders than we had on hand, would Cantor then decide to fund first responders by cutting funds for disaster relief?
The New York Times editorializes about the Right’s resentment of the poor.
These Republican leaders, who think nothing of widening tax loopholes for corporations and multimillion-dollar estates, are offended by the idea that people making less than $40,000 might benefit from the progressive tax code. They are infuriated by the earned income tax credit (the pride of Ronald Reagan), which has become the biggest and most effective antipoverty program by giving working families thousands of dollars a year in tax refunds. They scoff at continuing President Obama’s payroll tax cut, which is tilted toward low- and middle-income workers and expires in December. …
…The moral argument would have been obvious before this polarized year. … The real problem is that so many Americans are struggling on such a small income, not whether they pay taxes.
Silly New York Times. Don’t they know that in the topsy-turvy world of right-wing morality, the moral argument is that wealth must flow to the wealthy, who “deserve” it, and that the poor must be punished for their poverty? It’s a good editorial, though.
Along those lines, see “Executive Excess 2011: The Massive CEO Rewards for Tax Dodging.”
Also along those lines, wingnuts are outraged because the President is calling for a national day of service to commemorate 9/11. Pam Geller actually called a day of service “sacrilegious.” One wonders in what religion that would be true. Jim Hoft apparently thinks that the president’s suggestion for voluntary charity work is socialism.
Meanwhile, Jonathan Chait explains what jobs are, and how they work, to a right-wing think tank.
GOP POV:
Why, who are these people who need saving?
How many of them are poor people who already have luxuries like refrigerators, microwaves, and cars, and don’t live in shelters or lean-to’s? Why can’t they save themselves? Because they’re lazy and didn’t work and save hard enough, that’s why!
We need to save our dwindling resources!
We are Originalists.
We need to go back to how our Founding Fathers handled emergencies. All doctors in emergencies need is what they had then – a hammer and saw, some leeches, and some of God’s own good hard whiskey for operations – or ether if you want to get all modern and fancy-shmancy.
And all we need are horse-drawn ambulances, firetrucks, and death wagons, just like dear old great-great-great-great-granddad!
What happens if a “Job Creator” has a heart attack from the stress of having to create all of those jobs and there’s no medevac helicopter to fly him/her to a gated hospital?
Did you ever think of that, Liberals?
No, of course not – you’re always thinking about yourselves – and your beloved poor people.
Leeches and horse-drawn death wagons in emergencies are what made our forefathers tough, and what make this nation great!
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Today’s Republicans make yesterday’s movie and cartoon villains look like Albert Schweitzer and Mother Teresa.
Sometimes I wonder how much of the callousness conceals a very real fear the callous people could well wind up in the same predicament as the poor they hate. I don’t think hate is too strong a word to describe their feelings toward the poor. We need more compassion, but it seems that it is too much for many people to muster.
In addition, Pamela Geller’s choice of “sacrilegious” to diss President Obama’s call for service to commemorate 9/11 is curious indeed, given her well-known atheism and adherence to the dubious ideals of Ayn Rand. Hoft would not recognize socialism if it hit him over the head with a two by four, much like his politically ignorant fellow tea partiers. Perhaps he adheres to the dominionist principle that only the churches should undertake charitable endeavors, which would be completely unworkable in practice.
I’m glad the NYT is writing about the right’s resentment of the poor. I’m also glad the right is so brazen about it, that their Next Generation feels no need to hide it in euphemisms or sophistry. How did this land become so infested with these mean spirited, selfish a$$holes? What’s it going to take for us to rid ourselves of their disease? I think of Marie Antoinette and “Let them eat cake”, and perhaps it will come to that.
Yes, and all this is even more interesting, how about provocative, given that the
Republican Party is the Christian Party – or so they advertise. Isn’t one of the basic tenets of Christianity, and all great religions of the world I might add, “I am my brother’s keeper,” “We are our brothers’ keepers.” ???
I imagine that the recently organized Republican group with the responsibility of cutting some odd-trillions from the deficit, will begin their meetings, heads bowed in devotion to their heavenly leader, Jesus the Christ before they begin discussing how to make the lives of the poor (their brothers?) even more miserable than they already are – Jesus be damned?